Chrono Switch
by Angel Peach Blossom
Summary: What would you do if you found yourself in a story you thought you knew? For reasons unknown to her, Skye finds herself in El Nido. Seeing herself as a minor character, she wants to keep the story intact. But it soon becomes apparent that fate has other ideas. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: I have finally returned, and I hope to keep this one going! I want to apologize however if my updates are slow. Things have been going on and I've been trying to keep it all together.**

 **The idea for this story came from a good friend of mine, who suggested that maybe someone would want to keep the story on track, but it doesn't work out. I was originally going to try it as a Suikoden story, but as I don't know the first game well enough, I decided to switch it to Chrono Cross. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in Chrono Cross**

The girl fought to open her eyes, only able to do so slightly. She couldn't see anything aside from the color of blue, and yet she didn't feel like she was in water. Yet, she did feel like she was floating on waves. Whatever it was pushed her forward, doing so gently like it was guiding her somewhere.

Feeling fear rising in her heart, the girl tried once more to open her eyes fully, and this time she was successful. She tried moving her head a little to try to get a better look at her surroundings. But try as she might, she couldn't seem to move it. With a slight gasp, she tried one more time, but was unable. All she could do was stare ahead at the blueness around her, and some bubbles.

Panic began to engulf the girl, doing all she could to move her arms, her legs, anything to help her through this. Once again, her effort proved fruitless. But if she didn't move, she was sure she was going to drown! Just as she was about to expect the worst, she noticed something, like an odd energy surrounding her. Was it allowing her to breathe, and was it the reason she couldn't move a single muscle?

Doing her best to relax, with very minimal success, she puzzled over how she had gotten to where she was. She closed her eyes to think, only barely catching the sight of some strands of her blonde hair flowing as she did so. Worry gnawed at her heart as she tried to recall the last thing that happened, and while she wasn't sure if what she was thinking of was the case, one thing did spring to mind. Staring out of her bedroom window, smiling as she saw the moon, and then thinking for just the briefest instant that she saw another moon close to it. The last thing she could recall was a woman's voice calling her name.

Suddenly, the feeling of being pushed forward ceased, feeling and movement returned to her limbs. It was then, with a gasp that she noticed something she didn't before, but whether it was from her earlier panic, she wasn't sure. With a gasp of pain, she turned herself to her back, feeling sand underneath her fingers and reached over to hold her arm. It didn't feel like it was broken as far as she could tell, but it felt sore and she had no idea how it felt that way. She opened her green eyes for a moment, closing them again to shield them from the sun.

"Hey!" a voice called to her worriedly. "Are you okay?"

The blonde groaned and slowly opened her eyes once more, thankful to seeing a shadowy figure blocking the sun's rays. She blinked a little to get her vision back, and once she did she was unable to hold back a gasp. Looming over her was a young man whose purple hair could be seen poking out of his orange bandanna, and purple eyes that was looking at her with concern. He was wearing a black undershirt with a gray vest and baggy looking blue shorts.

 _"No… it can't be… can it?"_ the girl thought to herself, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked again, reaching out with his hand. The girl accepted the gesture, managing to pull her hand off of her arm for a moment to do so, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She struggled to stay standing and would have fallen off of her feet if the young man wasn't holding her. "Don't worry," he said in a gentle tone, almost soothing in fact. "I got you."

"T… thank you," the girl answered weakly, only barely finding her voice. She cringed a little as she didn't like how hoarse she sounded. Just how long was she out of it?

"You're welcome," the boy answered, the look of concern returning to his features. "What happened to you? You don't look so good."

She wasn't sure what to say and went silent for a while. She could only guess how she looked, but even then she would admit that she could be in worse condition. Her blonde hair was in tangles and her pink shirt and white shorts were a mess, with a rip on her right sleeve of her shirt. She closed her green eyes for a moment before she slowly shook her head and opened them again.

"I… I don't know…" she admitted, the worry and fear growing in her once more. "I don't remember what happened to me."

"Do you remember anything at all?" the young man inquired.

For a moment, she didn't want to answer. Aside from a slight gap of memory, she knew she didn't have amnesia. And yet, the situation she suddenly found herself in just didn't make sense to her. And she also didn't want to say she knew who he was, doing as best as she could to suppress the urge to say she did. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head. "I… I haven't forgotten everything… if that is what you mean, but…"

"Shh, you shouldn't talk much," the boy advised, sensing the girl's trouble to speak right then. "Come on, I'll take you back to my village. You don't need to worry, no one will hurt you there." His voice was so gentle and reassuring that most of her fear seemed to vanish and the girl allowed herself to relax. "We'll go to my home and my mom and I will take care of you. I'm Serge by the way."

 _"I know,"_ the girl wanted to say, but was able to stop herself. "I… I'm Skye."

"Skye?" Serge repeated. He went silent for a moment, but then he smiled a little. "That's a pretty name. Come on, let's go."

Skye didn't resist as Serge moved her forward carefully, step by step. She didn't feel the need to go against him, because she knew she could trust him. And yet, deep inside, something screamed that this wasn't right. That she shouldn't even be here right now. And yet, she felt as if she was given no choice at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Cross.**

Skye yawned softly as the morning sun tried to peek through the curtains. A part of her didn't want to get up. The bed felt so cozy and warm, it was like it was offering her to just stay and sleep. Knowing that she couldn't however, she pushed herself up to a sitting position and stretched.

The room she was in was small, yet for some reason, it made her feel like she was home. The room, alongside the rest of the house, had been made with mostly wood. There was a small dresser on the opposite side of the room where she sat, and she could see the curtains swaying in the breeze.

The blonde sighed a little as she stretched one more time and slipped out of the covers, revealing her white nightgown. It had been about a month since Serge found her at the beach, which he called Opassa Beach. While she was thankful for his hospitality, ever since she had gotten there, she felt like something was wrong. From the start, she was sure what the reason was.

Serge was the main character from a video game that she knew of, and she was also very sure there was no girl named Skye there. She shouldn't even be here now. And yet, here she was, in Serge's room in Arni Village. Feeling she had no right to make any changes to a story she knew, she told herself many times that she was just a minor character in this story.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she made her way to the dresser and opened one of the drawers, revealing a white shirt, a red vest, and red shorts to replace the tattered clothing that Serge found her in. At the time when she had been given these clothes by Marge, she didn't say what she thought when she saw them, but thanked her as it was a nice gesture. However, she couldn't help thinking that the clothing reminded her a lot of the character Kid, only the shirt looked much nicer and covered her stomach.

Doing her best to ignore the feelings she had, she put on the clothes as well as a pair of brown shoes next to the dresser. After tapping the tip of her toes downward to see if the shoes were snug, Skye made her way downstairs.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead!" Skye smiled as she turned toward the source of the voice, a kind looking woman with brown hair and green eyes returning the girl's smile. "It's wonderful to see you out and about, Skye. You must have been tired, Serge didn't want to wake you."

The blonde did her best not to cringe. "Oh no… Serge said he wanted to talk to me today and…"

Marge laughed and waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. He said it wouldn't be a problem. Just meet him down at the pier. He said he would be there with Leena until you woke up."

"Okay, thank you, Marge," Skye said politely. Despite the woman's words, she still couldn't help but worry. Even though she was sure she shouldn't be important, she couldn't deny that Serge had been good to her. Offering her his room, despite her reluctance, checking up on her when she was bedridden, even showing her around Arni Village. He had been so nice to her when he didn't even need to be, and she didn't want to be late or break promises.

Before she could walk off however, a familiar meow came from in front of her. Skye looked down and smiled at the white and orange cat as she bent down to scratch him between his ears, causing him to purr. Marge laughed as the blonde stood up again. "He really seems to like you, Skye. I'm glad to see you are not afraid of him."

"What makes you say that?" the girl asked, tilting her head. Even though she was certain she knew the answer to the question, she knew she couldn't just say it out loud.

While the answer was about what she expected, she also couldn't help being surprised by it as well. "I knew this girl some years ago who was terrified of cats, even one as small as a kitten. She had her reasons for it though, but she couldn't get anywhere near them."

'Wait, it isn't Serge then?' Skye thought in confusion. She wanted to tell the woman that she was wrong, that it should be her own son that was afraid of them. But something told her that she shouldn't say anything, since there were some other things bothering her.

"I see," the girl finally answered, nodding her head. "Did this girl ever get over her fears?"

"I don't know," Marge answered, lowering her head. "Honestly, it's been ten years since any of us have seen her. Serge keeps hoping she will come back to visit someday."

At the mention of the young boy's name, Skye gasped. "Oh, right! I'm supposed to meet Serge at the pier! See you later, Marge! Thanks!" She ran out the door, waving her hand at the woman and stepped out into the fresh air.

Skye allowed herself to smile as she felt the sea breeze on her cheek. As she made her way quickly to the pier, she couldn't help looking around, as though she was checking for signs of some sort. At a distance, she could swear that she saw a large fish, one she could only assume was a swordfish, out on display. Some kids were running around playing, and she could hear that a boy was looking for something for a girl named Kiki. As she neared the pier, she heard a kid exclaim "Yippee!" and a splashing sound soon followed. Leena and Serge stood side by side, looking as though they were watching over some kids who decided to do some swimming.

 _"I think it's starting soon,"_ the girl thought to herself grimly, feeling sorry for Serge.

"Skye, there you are!" Serge called, waving the girl over with a smile.

Skye took in some gulps of air to get her breath back, then put on her best apologetic look. "Sorry I'm late, Serge. Your mother told me I would find you here."

"Don't worry about it," Leena told the girl with a smile of her own. Skye watched as the girl's orange hair swayed in the breeze, making her wonder if that was why her headband didn't look straight. She was wearing her usual pretty blue dress with an orange overtop, with the design of a sun and some sort of plant in the middle of it. "Serge said he was going to help me watch the kids until you got here." Then with a twinkle in her green eyes, she teased, "Took you long enough to get up though! The sun has almost reached high noon!"

 _"I don't get it. Why does Leena tease me so much?"_ Skye did her best to hide a puzzled expression as she thought, _"She never seemed like the type to be so teasing."_

"Hey! Leena, Sergey, Skye!" The three turned their heads toward one of the kids, whose head could only be seen out of the water. "Don't you guys want to go swimming with us? The water feels really good!"

Leena giggled and shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine, and Serge and Skye? Well, they didn't come here to play. Just don't swim out to far, okay?"

"Okay! Gotcha!" the boy said happily as he went back to swimming.

"Kids will be kids, won't they?" Leena questioned. She turned to the two and then said before either of them could answer. "So Serge, what were you going to talk to Skye about? From what you were saying earlier, it seemed pretty important."

"Oh, it's nothing much," the purple haired boy remarked, though the girls noticed him fidgeting a little bit. "I was just thinking that we could go to Opassa Beach for a bit, all three of us. But you are stuck babysitting the kids, Leena."

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Leena told him, the teasing tone returning to her voice. "I wouldn't dream of getting in the way of a private moment between you two!"

"Leena, I don't think it's like that!" Skye protested, but she felt her cheeks burn at the thought. She knew what the redhead was implying. Since she had know the other girl, she always teased her, especially when Serge was brought up. At this point, wasn't Serge supposed to be in love with Leena and vice versa?

"You don't need to hide it, I can tell," Leena said with a wink at the other girl. "I won't tell anyone else. You two just go to Opassa Beach then."

Serge took hold of Skye's hand. "Let's get going, Skye."

"Yeah," Skye agreed with a nod of her head. She barely even noticed where the young man was taking her, but something was nagging at the back of her head. Why was Leena teasing Skye about a possible relationship with her and Serge? Why wasn't she saying that Serge had to find the redhead some Komodo Dragon scales for her necklace? Why was Serge taking her to Opassa Beach instead of waiting for Leena, or even bringing the dog Poshul?

"Is something the matter, Skye?" Serge asked the girl, taking her out of her thoughts and giving her a familiar looking concerned glance. "You seem distracted."

"Oh, sorry Serge," Skye replied quickly. "I'm okay, really."

"If you say so, but I'll bet you'll feel better when we get to Opassa Beach," the boy added, giving the girl a warm smile.

* * *

Skye allowed herself a smile as they set foot on the beach. It seemed so nice and peaceful, which felt better than the last time she was here. But she was secretly holding back her confusion. As she had expected, they had to pass by Lizard Rock to get here. She had almost expected for Serge to stop at least three times to try to get some scales from the Komodo Dragons. She was actually grateful that they didn't, because she didn't want to have a run in with a mother that was only trying to protect its young. And yet, there was something a little out of place over not seeing it happen.

"Well, here we are! Opassa Beach!" Serge grinned widely as he headed over to where the waves were rolling in and out on the shore. Turning back to Skye, he added, "Would you like to sit next to me?"

"Sure," the girl agreed as she walked up next to him.

Serge took in a deep breath as he took a seat, knees bent as he looked out at the sea. Skye noticed the happy look on his face as she did the same. "It's been a while since I've come here. I'll be honest though, I'm glad I was able to come a month ago. I don't know what would have happened to you if I didn't."

"Yeah, I don't want to know what could have happened," Skye added with a nod of her head.

The boy took in another breath. To Skye, it looked like he didn't care that his hair and bandanna moved with the breeze. "You know, Skye, this beach holds a lot of memories for me. Some good and some not so much."

"Are you thinking about one of them?" the girl asked as she tilted her head. "Like one of them just returned to your heart or something?"

"Something like that, but I swore I would never forget it anyway." Serge looked over to the girl sitting next to him, and she couldn't help being surprised by seeing the look of seriousness in his purple eyes. "It happened ten years ago. There was a girl I was really close friends with. We were playing on the beach together with Leena and we were having fun. It was supposed to stay that way… when my friend was taken from us. I was powerless to do anything about it then."

"Sounds awful," Skye said, her voice filled with sympathy.

"Do you remember what it was like ten years ago, Skye?" the boy questioned curiously.

The blonde slowly shook her head and turned her gaze to the rolling waves. "I'm sorry, Serge. I only have vague memories of my early childhood. But…" She trailed off for a moment, wondering if she should even continue, but she was sure she could trust the young man with what she was about to say. "I do remember this nightmare. I would get it from time to time. It's so real, like it is happening to me. Like someone… like someone was trying to drown me. Pushing me into the water… with the intent on killing me."

"I see," Serge murmured. It looked like he was going to press further, but for some reason he didn't. Skye didn't know if he sensed her uneasiness, but she was grateful when he didn't pry. "Anyway, ever since that day, I swore that I would protect my loved ones, no matter what. I figured one of the best ways to do that would be to go to Viper Manor and become an Acacia Dragoon."

"Acacia Dragoon?" Skye repeated, her green eyes reflecting her puzzlement. Only this time, she knew better not to question it. In the game, the young man was what was known as a silent protagonist. Unless the game itself said so, you were likely unaware of what dreams they had. So who was she to argue that he couldn't want to be an Acacia Dragoon? Although she did wonder if that was even possible now, considering she had a hunch to the manor's condition.

"Yes, an Acacia Dragoon. That's why I've been practicing with Elder Radius. He was once a Deva some four years ago. I hear he left, but I don't know the reasons why." Serge gave the girl a tiny smile. "I was thinking of heading to the manor soon, and I was wondering if…"

 _"Skye… Skye…"_

"Huh?" The girl quickly rose to her feet, confusion filling her eyes as she looked around for the source of the voice. She didn't expect to see it, but why was she hearing it in the first place? And shouldn't it be saying Serge's name?

 _"Skye…"_ the voice whispered so softly, that she couldn't tell if the voice belonged to a man or a woman.

"Serge do you hear that?" Skye asked nervously.

"I do, but who is calling for you?" Serge questioned as he stood up, also looking around for the source.

Skye found that she was having difficulty hearing the boy now. It was like he was somehow far away, even though she knew he was right next to her. Her eyes were now fixed on the water, with what appeared to be a giant wave coming right for them. But even if she saw the wave, she would have known that they weren't going to be hit by it.

At first, Serge's voice was replaced with happy sounding giggling and laughing. She could see three kids playing on the beach, two that she was sure was a young Serge and Leena, but the other girl… while she was almost certain to who she was, she didn't want to believe it.

Then she saw them. The men that were dressed in blue, coming straight for the kids, causing the young Serge to exclaim "No!" She was at first glad that the image changed, as she didn't want to see it. She really didn't want to see it.

But what replaced it next filled her with dread. The growling of a large cat, a panther, seemed to fill her ears. Then she could see it, the cat's eyes looking as though it was piercing her soul. She felt her muscles freeze up on her, as though she expected it to leap forward and bite her.

Then she felt the dizziness come in as a green light surrounded her. She looked over in Serge's direction, as she was sure he didn't move. She noticed only for a moment that he too appeared unbalanced. She was about to reach out to try and steady him, when she felt her knees buckle a little and she slipped to the sand beneath her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Cross.**

Skye groaned as she carefully placed her hands underneath her and pushed herself to her knees. She shook her head a couple times as though she was trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling she felt before she finally got to her feet. Nearby, she could hear Serge moaning as well, making her wonder if he had just come to himself.

The blonde turned to face him and saw Serge was sitting on the sand and holding his head. "Serge, are you okay?" she asked as she held out her hand.

"I think so," Serge answered with a nod as he accepted the girl's hand and allowed her to pull him up. "What happened just now?"

Skye bit her lower lip, not sure how to respond to it. She could say that she didn't know, but she did know at least the gist of what happened. There were still many things that puzzled her, but she knew she would be lying if she said she didn't have any sort of idea.

"Skye?" Her green eyes widened as she shifted her gaze back to Serge, who was giving her a look of confusion and concern. "Skye? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Serge," Skye answered, shaking her head. "I think I know what happened, but I'm not too sure. We should head back to Arni Village though."

At the mention of the village, the boy turned his head to the sky, and this time, it was his turn to look puzzled. "I think you're right that we should go back, but… I don't think the sun has moved. How could that be? Leena knew we would be here and anyone from the village could have come down to check on us."

The blonde followed the boy's gaze and frowned a little. She had to admit that Serge was right. The sun didn't seem to have moved at all and there was not a single cloud in the sky. She wasn't sure how long they were out of it.

"Let's go back to Arni Village, like you suggested," Serge went on, taking the girl out of her thoughts. "When we get back there, we can ask around to see why no one checked up on us. Would you mind if we finished our talk later?"

"Yeah, it's fine. It can wait," Skye replied. She waited for the purple haired boy to turn away before she lowered her head for a moment in guilt. She had some answers, she was sure. The villagers had no reason to assume they were there at the beach. At least, she wanted to think that. She wanted to tell him that, but she kept telling herself that she shouldn't, as much as she wanted to. Especially since she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

The girl could barely remember walking through Lizard Rock. It was such a haze in her mind, and she could only recall doing it because Serge would call to her to see what was wrong. Why did that voice whisper her name? Why was she here, wearing clothes similar to Kid? Why was Leena teasing her so often, especially when it came to Serge, instead of being demanding toward him? Why did Serge take her to the beach and didn't try to push for Leena to come along too?

"Skye?" The girl straightened when she heard her name being called and looked over to the boy. While he still had a concerned look in his eyes, his arms were crossed. "What's wrong, Skye? You've been acting oddly since we woke up at Opassa Beach."

Skye lowered her head again and placed her right hand on her left elbow. "Serge… I want to tell you, but even I'm not sure. I admit, this whole thing feels strange even for me. I don't think you would believe me…"

"Why don't you just tell me?" Serge suggested, giving the girl his best reassuring smile. "You'll never know unless you say something, right?"

The blonde took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Right now, she wanted to wake up and find that she was at home in her bed. She slowly opened her eyes, not at all surprised when she found that she was still there. "I know this may sound odd, Serge. But I've been feeling like something is wrong."

"What do you mean by that?" Serge questioned, tilting his head and ignoring the stands of hair that swayed with the movement. "I will agree that something really strange happened at Opassa Beach if that is what you mean."

"That's only partly it," the girl replied, tapping the ground with her toes nervously. "You said I was acting oddly, but… please be honest, Serge. Have you noticed anything about me?"

The boy rubbed his chin as he closed his eyes. "Yeah. I noticed a lot of things seem to confuse or surprise you. To be honest, I was wondering if… well, if you were remembering something. I've actually been wondering something since we first met…"

"Hey, Serge!" a man's voice called, interrupting the boy. "Didn't expect to see you there!"

The two turned toward the source of the voice and found a man with brown hair barely peeking out of his hat and brown eyes, giving the young man a kind smile and a wave. This man was one of the first signs to the nagging feeling the girl had, because as far as she knew, this man should not even be here.

"Hello, Miguel," Serge answered with a smile of his own.

"It's been a while since we've seen you, boy," Miguel went on before either of the two could speak. "Are you on leave right now? Are you planning on visiting your mother soon? She has missed you so much!"

Skye felt her eyes widen and she took a sharp breath. Every time she had seen something she thought was out of place, she figured it would somehow click into place. And that she was supposed to be a minor character at the most. But the way the man was speaking to her friend, there was no way the story was on the right track, or how she knew it at least.

"And who is this girl next to you?" Miguel went on, startling the girl further. "I've never seen her around here before. Is she your girlfriend, perhaps? One you met in Termina?"

"Miguel, I don't know what you're going on about," Serge answered in a puzzled tone. "And you should…"

"Uh, never mind that now, Serge," Skye said quickly wishing that her cheeks would stop burning at the man's suggestion. "We should get going. It was nice meeting you, Miguel."

Skye did her best to ignore the shocked expression on the boy's face as she continued down the grassy path. Only now did she see how close they had gotten to the village. She lifted her head upward, noticing some clouds starting to roll in. Despite what had just happened, she was doing everything she could to deny what she had seen and heard. But the more she thought about it, it became harder to deny it.

"Skye, mind telling me what just happened back there?" Serge inquired as he caught up to the girl. "How could you say it was nice meeting Miguel? You've known him before today! And why did he act like he never even met you and thinking you are from Termina?"

Skye felt the pinprick of tears in her green eyes. She did her best to wipe them away before facing the young man. Now wasn't the time to break down. "Serge, tell me something. That girl you said you failed to protect ten years ago. What was her name? I feel like you remember, but haven't said."

The boy nodded slowly, his purple eyes hardening. "Her name… is Skye. Ten years ago, we were attacked, and these people tried to drown her. I couldn't understand why. She was just a little girl, what was so important that they had to kill her? I was powerless to stop them from taking her away." Skye didn't bother hiding her shock, and allowed her hands to fly to her mouth. "But then…there was a miracle. I saw her alive! She was wet and shaking, but she was okay. She said that a man saved her, but couldn't say who."

"But then she vanished some time after that, right?" Skye asked, feeling her hands beginning to tremble.

"I don't know about vanishing, we just never saw her since she was taken away," Serge told the girl, placing one hand on his hip. "We were told it was for her protection. And to this day, I still don't understand why. But I swore that she would be back one day. And then a month ago…"

"You met me," Skye finished for the young man, swallowing a lump in her throat. "You think I'm your Skye."

"I do," the boy agreed with a nod of his head. "But why do you need to know this?"

"Because… because…" Skye trailed off, feeling her throat tightening. "I… think we… and I…"

Serge's face softened when he saw how distressed Skye looked and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Don't worry, Skye, it's okay. I told you my promise didn't I? I have no idea what happened not long ago, but whatever it is, I'm sure everything will be okay."

"Serge there… there is more to it than that," the girl said weakly, hating the sorrowful tone that slipped into her voice. "Serge, I… I know why Miguel acted like that. He didn't know me… because… because he didn't meet me."

Serge pulled himself away just enough to move his hands to her shoulders. "What are you talking about?"

Skye closed her eyes and allowed some tears to slip out. She could only imagine what it would be like to go and talk to Leena right now. And while she knew that would happen in the story right now, she wasn't sure if she could accept it. After steeling herself as best she could, determined to get her composure back, she gazed into the young man's eyes. "I can't go back to Arni Village right now. Technically, I know I'm supposed to. I'm supposed to talk to Leena, but I don't think I can."

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, but would it make you feel better if I went and talked to her alone?" the boy asked her, the concern returning to his features.

"You can, but I should probably go to Cape Howl. I need to see something."

* * *

The crashing waves hit Skye's ears and the sun was setting, painting the sky in a pretty orange color. Skye hated leaving Serge all alone and confused over what just happened, but she figured it was better for Serge to go and talk to Leena alone. That was how the story went before, so she was hoping doing this even a little bit could get the story back on tract again. Though she wondered if that would even be enough.

She was thankful when the creatures seemed to ignore her. She was not prepared for any sort of battle right now. She had only barely learned to fight, as she learned how to use the basic skills of her dagger through Serge's own teachings. But she knew even that wouldn't be enough to help her right now.

Despite her slow movements, she could still hear her footsteps on the ground beneath her feet. The cape opened up to a single cliff, with a large stone at the very end of it. She approached, feeling as though her heart was pounding hard against her chest. She knelt down to read the inscription, not even feeling the least bit surprised.

"Our beloved Skye, died at age seven

May the sea hold her dearly

And protect her departed spirit."

Skye slowly pushed herself to her feet. She told herself over and over that she was not important, since she shouldn't have been. But the words on the stone told her otherwise. Even Serge himself implied it with what he said before.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. _"Get a grip, Skye,"_ she told herself, gritting her teeth. _"I don't understand how this is possible. But I guess…"_

"So, you are Skye, aren't you?" The voice that came behind the girl was not unexpected, but still surprised her. "You are the ghost of the girl who died ten years ago."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Chrono Cross.**

Skye had expected something like this. She was hoping that since she came here first instead of talking to Leena, this wouldn't happen right now. Only now did she realize her mistake. She clenched her fists, automatically running through what she'd have to do to grab her knife in a hurry. _"Don't be scared, Skye,"_ she told herself as she slowly turned around. _"Don't be scared."_

She wasn't scared. She was surprised. Her eyebrows shot up as her eyes became riveted to one of the trio and not the one she thought she'd be focused on. She recognized Karsh, of course she did. The man was smiling in a self-important sort of way. He was so pleased to have caught her alone like this. But, it was one of the other two that had caught her attention. "Serge," she breathed, so low she was sure none of them had heard her.

The other of the trio, a young man with light brown hair, and a x shaped scar on his cheek, tilted his head a little bit. In something that the girl would have thought would come from the Shaker Brothers, he voiced one of the usual concerns about this. "Sir Karsh, forgive my asking this... but is this girl really a ghost? She seems like a perfectly healthy young girl to me."

Skye only looked out of the corner of her eye for long enough to see the speaker. Was that Glenn? What was he doing here? Shouldn't Solt and Peppor be here? And why was she seeing Serge?

"Ghost is a relative term," said Karsh lazily as he stepped closer to Skye, forcing her to take a step back to avoid being too close. He laughed. "It's meant to mean she shouldn't and doesn't really exist."

"She still looks real to me," Glenn muttered, almost sulkily.

"What do you want?" she snapped, hand trembling a little as she pulled out her dagger. There were three of them. She knew she wasn't a match for any of them yet. Not only that, but from what was just said, it seemed that the Deva knew a lot more than he should.

Instead of answering her question, the one who caught her attention finally spoke. "Skye?" For a moment, he stood there, like he was eyeing her, before he took a step toward her. "Yes, it has to be you. I'd know you anywhere. You can trust my word, Glenn, she is real. It's just... even I don't know how to describe it at this point."

Skye backed up one more time, noticing her back was pressed against the gravestone. Oh, that couldn't be good! It was only then that something occurred to her, and it was only now from even the original story she was even questioning it. "What do you want?" she repeated, once again trying to come off as unimportant, but even she had to admit it wasn't working. "And how could you even know to find me here of all places?"

Glenn shrugged, fast giving her the impression that of the three he was the least dangerous. But she had to quickly remind herself that the boy she knew from the story wasn't just someone who would stand back and just watch. Unless for some reason you took a certain route in the game. And she hated the look, like steel, in this Serge's eye. She couldn't help but shudder.

"Stop chatting!" Karsh barked, drawing his axe. "We've found her, now we've got to take her back to him."

"A lot of gratitude we'll get for that," Other World Serge muttered as he too took out his weapon, which to Skye looked like a staff with blades on either end of it. "Just come along quietly, Skye. I don't think he'll hurt you."

Skye shook her head. She knew she couldn't fight them, and there was only one 'him' she could think of right now. It was almost like it was going from bad to worse for her. She knew on her own that fighting back was not an option. She was outnumbered, and she had to admit that Other World Serge was right. Karsh wouldn't hurt her, but going to 'him' didn't sound like a good idea.

Then she remembered where her Serge went to. Her eyes widened and she instinctively turned her eyes toward one of the ledges there. In the game, she knew this would be where Kid would show up. While she wasn't expecting that girl, she knew who she could see. _"Please,"_ she thought. _"Please be there!"_

Impatient by the momentary delays Karsh stepped forward to seize her and she ducked under his arms, racing toward the ledge since the other way was blocked.

"Get back here, ghost!" Glenn shouted.

She looked back in time to see him trip right into the Deva, taking them both down. Other World Serge leaped over both of them in pursuit. She turned forward, heart pounding. Her knife felt slippery in her sweaty hand and any second she thought she'd feel someone grab her from behind. She tripped, falling to one knee right next to the first ledge.

"Skye!"

She looked up and saw her Serge stand on the approaching one. And for an instant both Serges froze in confusion. The girl couldn't blame them for that, because she was sure if she saw a girl that looked just like her, she would be puzzled too.

"What the hell?" Glenn said in confusion as he and the purple haired man rose to their feet. "Do you have a twin, Serge?"

"Not last I checked," Other Serge answered. He quickly shook away the shock before that same steely-eyed look appeared in his purple eyes once more. "I don't know who you are, but I won't let you interfere with our mission."

The boy on the ledge shook his head as well, as though clearing out his own surprise, before he jumped down and in front of Skye. "Do you really think I'm just going to stand here and let you capture Skye? Sorry, but that isn't going to happen. I have a promise to keep!"

Feeling a little more confident now that her Serge was there, Skye stood her ground and readjusted her grip on her dagger. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you!"

Karsh only smiled at their declaration and approached the duo. "Sorry you feel that way, junior," he told the girl. "But we have our orders."

The Serge the girl knew took out his own swallow and took a defensive stance. "Yeah, and I just said I'm not letting you take her!"

Karsh took a firm grip of his axe and rushed toward Serge. The boy had just enough time to hold up his swallow to block the attack in the middle of it, and struck back. For a moment, Skye thought she was going to lose her grip on her dagger again, until she noticed Other Serge coming her way.

The young man, whom Skye could only figure was an Acacia Dragoon from how he was dressed, was trying his hardest to not look at his double as he came toward her. However, she noticed that the swings of his weapon felt off. She only had to move a little bit in order to dodge most strikes, and even those that could have hurt her were easily blocked by her own dagger. It almost felt like he wasn't even trying.

"Serge, what's the matter with you?" Glenn asked as he stepped up next to his fellow Dragoon, his own sword in hand.

The Other Serge turned his head toward the other boy, but said nothing, aside from giving a nod. The brown haired boy smiled as though he understood, and both of them jumped backwards, causing Skye's green eyes to widen. The only reason she could see them doing that was if they were going to try an X-Slash, which was a move that the two could do together.

"Skye!" Serge cried, as though he saw the girl was in trouble, but was unable to keep his eyes off of Karsh for long, causing him to quickly duck under his axe.

The blonde could only stare in surprise as the two boys ran up to her, but they seemed to meet way too soon into the X and crashed right into each other. Though she had seen Glenn trip earlier, she quickly wondered if the Dragoon Serge was more rattled than he let on.

"Idiots," Karsh murmured, surprising the blonde, as she couldn't remember the Deva saying that to Glenn before. She could understand the Shaker Brothers, but why would he say that about Glenn and Other Serge?

Deciding it was best to put that thought to the side, she rushed over to her Serge. Karsh noticed her movements, and turned his sights toward her, but this caused the young man to smile, and lash out when he wasn't looking. The Deva grunted in surprise as he stepped backwards, holding on to his arm.

Serge quickly put his weapon away and reached out to grab Skye's wrist. Deciding it was better not to protest, she let the young man guide her away from the cape. The girl looked at him, and watched him place a finger to his lips, as they ducked into a nearby cave. He kept his finger in place, and she nodded.

Sometime later, Karsh, Glenn and Other Serge rushed passed their hiding place. The Deva cursed a bit as they ran by, barking orders to the duo to find her. A few minutes passed and their voices faded away, causing both of them to sigh in relief.

"That was close," Serge remarked, his hair looking like a dark shade of blue in the cave. "I'm glad I could make it in time."

"Me too," Skye agreed with a nod of her head. "I was hoping you would show up, since you talked to Leena and all."

"Yeah, and now I'm even more confused," the boy replied as he crossed his arms. "When I saw her, she was surprised to see me, and like Miguel, asked if I was on leave. I couldn't reply and she thought I was thinking back to 'that time.' I asked her what she meant, and she told me I don't need to hide it, since she knew your death has been eating me up inside, since you drowned ten years ago."

"I know what you mean," the girl admitted with a sigh. "I just saw my own grave. And those dragoons said they were looking for me, as the ghost of the girl who died ten years ago."

"But what does this mean?" Serge asked the girl. "You were acting oddly earlier, but now it seems like everyone is! And then I see another me as I find you at Cape Howl!"

Feeling as though she couldn't keep quiet anymore, Skye hung her head. "I think I know a few things, but to be honest, I don't know what I do or don't anymore."

"If you have any answers, it would be appreciated," Serge told the girl gently.

"Well, I don't know if you will believe me," the blonde remarked, looking her Serge in the eye. She had to admit, after seeing that look in the eyes of Other Serge, it was nice to see a softer and concerned expression from him. "But I think we fell into another dimension. One where I am dead and buried and you became an Acacia Dragoon."

"Another dimension?" the boy questioned, confusion filling his purple eyes. "How did that happen?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I thought this was all a story before, and I never figured out how the switch occurred the first time. All I know is that we did. It's how no one knows me, and if I told them I'm Skye, they would call me a liar. They think you are with the dragoons, which is why Miguel and Leena asked if you were on leave."

"I'm not so sure I understand, especially when you said you thought this was a story," Serge remarked as he shook his head.

"That is a little hard to explain," the girl admitted as she rubbed her left arm. "You said that I disappeared for my own protection after you found me unharmed." She paused for a moment, wondering if she should say where she thought she came from, but having a feeling he wouldn't know where it was anyway, decided it was best not to. "I saw a story named Chrono Cross when I was there. I thought I was a minor character because of that and wanted to put things on track but…"

"Some parts of the story have been wrong already?" Serge questioned, looking more puzzled than he did before. "I'm not sure I understand to be honest." Skye allowed herself another sigh, as she could understand how that could be an issue for him. How would she feel if someone came up to her and said the same thing? Of course it would be confusing! "But if you thought this was a story, do you know why the Dragoons are after you?"

"Karsh, one of the Devas, said something about taking me to 'him,'" Skye started to say.

"You mean General Viper?" Serge interrupted, causing the girl to shake her head.

"No, even with the changes, I doubt he knows," Skye replied. "I think the 'he' refers to General Lynx."

"General Lynx?" Serge repeated as he crossed his arms. "That's the first I've heard of him."

Skye nodded her head in understanding and placed a finger to her chin. "I'm not sure if the reason is the same, but I can only bet whatever he wants me for, it isn't good."

"Well, I won't let him get you, I promise you that," Serge told the girl, curling one hand into a fist and placing it on his chest.

Despite her situation, the girl allowed herself a giggle. "You don't need to keep promising me, I get it already. Still, thank you, Serge. I know what I just said is confusing, and I'm glad you would stick by me."

"Of course," the boy told her gently. "I don't know what happened or what this story you were talking about told you, but I won't abandon you." His smile wilted to a frown as he leaned back to the cave wall. "But, now what are we going to do?"


End file.
